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Paani - Will Water Turn Against Us?
But it never used to be like that and I assure you it will never be like that again. Nor was it supposed to be. We were supposed to go to water, not the other way round. In all of human history, water has been worshipped by every culture. Water was the centre of all community, of all existence. But now we pollute it, commercialize it, turn it for profit. We do everything but worship it. So Water is turning against us. That which nourished the very essence of life will soon teach us to value very drop we can find. Worship every drop. »
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In this blog, I display my own photos and discuss issues involving water that have inspired Paani ("Water"), a film I am developing to examine the daily struggle for water in the slums of Mumbai.
Shekhar Kapur is India's top-grossing film-maker and Oscar-winning director. A sampling of Kapur's work: |
we are using water for flushing
this should approach should be changed
an alternative design in toilet is required.
some solutions for this are in incubation
if it clicks it will solve a major problem of society.
The thing is that it's not the water mafia alone that is a threat to them.
The hawala system, the local goons. These so called mafia obstruct their each and every move. I know that this isn't the aim of the post, but then all these things do form a inter-connected web of a sort. But I understand what you mean, and also Mr. Sharma's comment does make a lot of sense, a sort of subsidised bottling feature will help, but the authorities will again be government lead, which creates the problem again. The government should outsource their work just to give the whole process some credibility(yes sounds pathetic?).
Rishabh Kaul
Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, BITS-Pilani
www.rishabhiscool.blogspot.com
Dear Sudhirendar Sharma,
We also have a similar view about how the governments/policy makers, hold the people for ransom, for what is truly theirs.
We have struggled for many years to fight the system that exist of old water technology (high chlorine/iodine injections). There are children dying everyday because the taste of the water is so bad they refuse to drink it.
Only through awareness and persistence will we overcome the future cartel's that will drain us of our dignity and the right to clean water.
We have also entered into changemakers water event under the name "purifying the world one drop at a time". We are a US company our name is World Health Alliance International Inc. Website www.whaintl.com
It is our desire to work with you in your fight to bring awareness about the world water dilemma.
May our endeavors work to change the face of the oppressed?
Cordially,
Charles Veach
Senior Director
Dear Charles,
I do concur with your concern. The challenge is to bring about systemic change. I do appreciate small community initiatives but often wonder if these (collectively) bring about any policy change. At the end of the day, as you have rightly observed, it is the water centralisation that calls the shots. The discourse therefore is not about `water' per se but about pulling it out from the decentralised control. I rarely see this being addressed.
Please refer to my recent write-up elaborating my bottled water concern (with a pinch of salt) at
http://www.livemint.com/2008/04/15230344/Clean-drinking-water-for-all.html
Stay in touch!
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Sudhirendar Sharma
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sudhirendar Sharma
Changemakers Featured Commentator
With an unprecedented growth rate of betwen 25-40 per cent and an incredible reach to the country's remotest areas, I wonder if bottled water could bring about `equity' and `justice' in water distribution. May be, the state will need to subsidise bottled water for the poor and piggy ride the success of the bottling industry. If Shekhar's pictures are any indication these are the people for whom the `subsidy' on public water was meant all these years, for over 60 years now. It didn't reach them as they were at the end of the `pipe dream'. They ended up paying a sizeable portion of their `survival income' to the fledgeling water mafia. I don't favour bottled water but wonder if there could be any other way they can get `life saving fluid' - a right that is fundamentally enshrined in the constitution?